Honey Garlic Beer Shrimp Skewers
- Preparation 30 min
- Refrigeration 30 min
- Cooking 6 min
- Servings 4 to 6
- Freezing Absolutely
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🍤 The shrimp skewers that will become your BBQ signature
These honey garlic beer shrimp skewers are the kind of recipe that turns heads around the barbecue. The marinade made with IPA, honey, molasses, and garlic creates a sweet-salty caramelized glaze that clings to the shrimp like golden armor. In six minutes on the grill, you get perfectly pink shrimp, lightly smoked, with a sticky and irresistible coating. Perfect for a terrace dinner, a summer happy hour, an outdoor hockey night, or whenever you want to impress without breaking your head.
🔥 The IPA beer in the marinade is the secret
The beauty of this marinade is the subtle bitterness of the IPA that balances the sweetness of honey and molasses. Without the beer, you’d have an overly sweet glaze. With the beer, you get a sweet-bitter-salty balance that makes you salivate. The grated garlic brings the punch, the Italian spices a subtle herby side, and the brown sugar helps form that perfect caramelized crust when the barbecue flames come licking the skewers. From assembly to plate, it’s 30 minutes of marinating and 6 minutes of cooking. That’s it.
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🥢 Soak wooden skewers in water
Unsoaked wooden skewers will catch fire on the barbecue, especially with a sweet marinade like this one. Thirty minutes in cold water before assembly is enough to prevent the wood from burning. If you use metal skewers, this problem doesn’t arise, but wood remains easier to handle.
🔥 Watch for flames with sweet marinade
The honey, molasses and brown sugar in this marinade create a glaze that ignites when it contacts flames. Brush the reserved marinade on the skewers during cooking, but be ready to move the skewers if the flames become too intense. This is what gives the caramelized finish, but you need to stay vigilant.
⏱️ Don’t overcook the shrimp
Size 51-60 shrimp cook in 2 to 3 minutes per side, not a second more. As soon as they’re pink and form a tight “C”, they’re ready. Overcooked shrimp become rubbery and dry. Better to remove them 30 seconds too early than 30 seconds too late. They finish cooking with residual heat.
🍺 The choice of beer matters
The recipe calls for an IPA, and it’s not for nothing. The hoppy bitterness of the IPA counterbalances the sweetness of honey and molasses in the marinade. A blonde beer that’s too mild would give an overly sweet result. Any convenience store IPA will do. Save the tasting beers for the table pairing.
📄 Use a reusable cooking sheet if shrimp are small
Size 51-60 shrimp are relatively small and can slip between barbecue grates, especially once cooked and contracted. A reusable silicone BBQ cooking sheet solves the problem while still allowing heat and smoke to pass through. Otherwise, threading shrimp on two parallel skewers prevents them from spinning and makes flipping easier.
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Ingredients
- 80 ml (⅓ cup) IPA beer
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) honey
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) molasses
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) brown sugar
- 1 tsp (5 ml) onion powder
- ⅓ tsp (1.5 ml) Italian seasoning
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 340 g (12 oz) raw shrimp (size 51-60), peeled, tail removed
- 5 chive sprigs, finely chopped, for serving
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
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Preparation
- In a large bowl, place all ingredients except shrimp and chives. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.
- Thread shrimp onto wooden skewers previously soaked in water for 30 minutes and place skewers in a large airtight dish.
- Pour half the marinade over the shrimp, mix and cover. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Reserve the remaining marinade in the refrigerator.
- Preheat barbecue to maximum power, then reduce to medium power. Oil the grate.
- Place skewers on the barbecue grate and cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until shrimp are pink and well grilled. Brush generously with reserved marinade during cooking, being careful as the marinade is sweet and ignites easily. Garnish with chopped chives and serve.
Yes, but the result will vary. A blonde will give a sweeter and milder result, a red will add caramelized notes, and a wheat beer will bring a citrusy side. The important thing is to avoid beers too high in alcohol that will concentrate the bitterness. A pale ale is a good substitute if you don’t have IPA.
You can assemble the skewers and marinate them in the refrigerator up to 2 hours in advance, but no more. The acidity of the beer starts to “cook” the shrimp after too long a soak, like in a ceviche. Prepare the marinade separately the night before if you want to save time.
Absolutely. Thaw them completely in the refrigerator the night before or under cold running water for 15 minutes. Pat them dry well with paper towels before marinating. Excess water dilutes the marinade and prevents caramelization on the grill.
Yes. Heat a cast iron or non-stick pan over high heat with a little oil. Cook the shrimp 2 minutes per side while brushing with marinade. You won’t have the smoky side of the barbecue, but the caramelized glaze will be just as good. The oven broiler is also a good option.
Size 31-40 shrimp (larger) are an excellent choice. They’re easier to handle on skewers and more visually impressive. Just add 1 minute of cooking per side. Avoid shrimp that are too small (61-70 and smaller), they dry out too quickly on the grill.
Mediterranean rice is the perfect base to absorb the excess honey glaze, but to take this meal to the next level, I suggest my creamy corn salad or my creamy cucumber, tomato and herb salad for a fresh side that balances the sweetness of the skewers. A creamy coleslaw with pancetta adds crunch and a smoky touch that complements everything. links : https://lecoupdegrace.ca/recette/riz-mediterraneen/ https://lecoupdegrace.ca/recette/salade-de-mais-cremeuse/ https://lecoupdegrace.ca/recette/salade-cremeuse-de-concombre-tomates-et-fines-herbes-avec-vinaigrette-au-cidre/
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